Now that August is fast approaching, it’s time for the country’s biggest independent film festival as Cinemalaya celebrates its first decade this year. Running from August 1-10, this year’s festival, dubbed as “Cinemalaya X: A Decade of Connecting Dimensions”, will once again showcase the power of independent films in providing quality cinema in the country. This year’s 10 New Breed films, 10 short films, and 4 Directors Showcase that are in competition this year are:

(descriptions taken from the press kit available online)

DIRECTORS SHOWCASE:

1. ASINTADO (Between the Eyes)
Director: Louie IgnacioCast: Aiko Melendez, Gabby Eigenmann, Jake Vargas, Miggs Cuaderno, Rochelle PangilinanPlot: In the middle of the preparation for TaongPutik Festival, a young man penniless and in love, takes on a drug courier job that goes terribly wrong. To save him, his mother now makes the most difficult decision of her life.

2. HARI NG TONDODirector: Carlos Siguion-ReynaCast: Robert Arevalo, Cris Villonco, Rez Cortez, Liza Lorena, Rafa Siguion-ReynaPlot: A grandfather on the brink of bankruptcy and brings his grandchildren back to the community that made and shaped him, only to find out the place is no longer the same.

3. HUSTISYA
Director: Joel LamanganCast: Nora Aunor, Rocco Nacino, Rosanna Roces, Sunshine DizonPlot: A foul-mouthed woman fights for her soul in the belly of the city. Working for a human trafficking agency controlled by a powerful syndicate, she sees no evil, hears no evil. In a society like ours, you have only two choices – to be a victim, or a victimizer. She makes her choice.

5. KASALDirector: Joselito AltarejosCast: Arnold Reyes, Oliver Aquino, Rita Avila, Maureen MauricioPlot:Kasal is a slice of life drama of a gay couple whose resolve to stay together is challenged as they attend a wedding. It also is an examination on how a gay couple navigates through the different institutions in Philippine society.

NEW BREED:

1. #YDirector: Gino M. SantosCast: Elmo Magalona, Coleen Garcia, Slater Young, Kit Thompson, Sophie AlbertPlot: “#Y” (“Hashtag Y”) chronicles the adventures of the members of a generation made universal by the realms of social media, the internet, sex, drugs and alcohol, and the occasional YOLO.

3. BWAYA
Director: Francis Xavier PasionCast: Angeli Bayani, RS Francisco, Karl Medina, Jolina SalvadoPlot: Divina is preparing for her daughter Rowena’s 13th birthday when she hears shocking news: her daughter has been attacked by a crocodile, her body still missing. As Divina searches for the body of her daughter in the marshlands of Agusan del Sur, she learns a lesson more tragic than her fate: not all predators are underwater. The film is based on actual events.

4. CHILDREN’S SHOW
Director: Derick CabridoCast: Allen Dizon, Gloria Sevilla, Nathan Lopez, Suzette RannilloPlot: Children’s Show is a full-length film based on a real life story of children ages 10-15 years old being used by a syndicate for an underground wrestling match.

5. DAGITAB (SPARKS)
Director: Giancarlo Abrahan VCast: Eula Valdez, Nonie Buencamino, Martin del RosarioPlot: While the marriage of two professors is on the verge of falling apart, the woman is dragged into a scandal involving a young student. On the other hand, the man falls in love with his research — a deity (supernatural being) that appears to him as the ghost of an old flame.

6. K’NA, THE DREAMWEAVER
Director: Ida Q. Anita del MundoCast: Mara Lopez, RK Bagatsin, Alex Medina, Nonie BuencaminoPlot: When Kana, a young T’boli woman, becomes a dreamweaver, she has the chance to weave together her village’s warring clans. But, will she give up true love to do so?

7. MARIQUINA
Director: Milo SoguecoCast: Mylene Dizon, Ricky Davao, Bing Pimentel, Che RamosPlot: Unlike the former Philippine First Lady, Imelda is indifferent towards shoes. To her, they are fraught with the bittersweet nostalgia of childhood, one that was marred by a difficult relationship with her shoe-maker father, Romeo. Growing up, all of hers were handmade by him. Now a mature woman, she takes a pivotal call from the morgue, spurring her search for the perfect pair of shoes for her dead father. The deeper she searches for the perfect shoes, the more she finds herself.

8. RONDA
Director: Nick OlankaCast: Aiai delas Alas, Carlo Aquino, Carlos Morales, Angeli BayaniPlot: A policewoman roams the city of Manila to fulfill her duties as a police patrol and to look for her lost son.

9. SEPARADOS
Director: Gb SampedroCast: Victor Neri, Ricky Davao, Anjo Yllana, Jason Abalos, Erik Santos, Alfred VargasPlot: Separados is a mostly bittersweet, partly comic, partly tragic saga of six men who have separated from their wives. Based on true stories, their parallel and overlapping tales are framed by a church wedding to a second wife by one of them, who grabs another chance at matrimonial bliss.

10. SUNDALONG KANIN
Director: Janice O’HaraCast: Nathaniel Brit, Ian de Leon, Marc Abaya, Gardo VerzosaPlot: Set during the Japanese Occupation, four friends (Nitoy, Benny, Carding, and Badong) aspire nothing more than to become soldiers fighting the Japanese… until they are confronted by the realities of war that threaten to destroy their families and their friendship.

SHORT FILMS A:

1. ASAN SI LOLO ME? (Sari Estrada)
A mother tells her young son that his grandfather has turned into a goat in order to cover up the grandfather’s death.

2. TIYA BENING (Ralph Quijano)
Left by her daughter to a caregiver, an old lady with Alzheimer’s suffers as her bedroom burns during the night.

3. MGA LIGAW NA PARUPARO (J.E. Tiglao)
Miriam is up for a surprise from her husband after a rift caused by the flirty text message of someone named Alex.

4. THE ORDINARY THINGS WE DO (David R. Corpuz)
When everything material and immaterial is stripped off, what remain are souls united by and in love.

5. PADULONG SA PINUY-ANAN (Eden Villarba)
A man attempts to find himself and the meaning of home while lost in another country.

SHORT FILMS B:

1. INDAYOG NG NAYATAMAK (Joris Fernandez)
A struggle between a painter and his work.

2. LOLA (Kevin Ang Tan)
It’s Christmas time, and a grandmother spends a quiet afternoon tending to the family chores. But the arrival of an unexpected visitor brings with her some deadly consequences.

3. NAKABIBINGING KADILIMAN (Paolo O’Hara)Nakabibinging Kadiliman is about two physically challenged sisters trying to find a way to live a normal life.

4. INA-TAY (Chloe Veloso)
A beautician named Elvis (also known as Elvira) finds out one day that he has fathered a bouncing baby boy and is left with the challenge of single parenthood.

5. EYEBALL (Thop Nazareno)
A vain man is out to meet a woman he met on Facebook for the first time. While waiting for her, he comes upon a naive guy whom he teaches his ways on attracting women. But the vain may need to learn some more.

Aside from that, the out of competition films ranged from Sineng Pambansa entries such as Maryo J. delos Reyes‘ Bamboo Flowers and Peque Gallaga’s Sonata to local premiere of Ronnie Lazaro’s Edna. There’s also repeat screenings of last year’s top films via Lav Diaz critically acclaimed Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan, and Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo. Since Cinemalaya is celebratings its tenth year, a look back of some of the festival’s earlier films will also be in the schedule this year including Mike Sandejas’ Tulad ng Dati, Clodualdo del Mundo Jr.’s Pepot Artista, and Jerrold Tarog’s Sana Dati to name a few.

In order to help you fix your schedule this year, I’ve uploaded a table of the CCP schedule for this year arranged per day. Hope this helps!

Hi Joseph! No worries. 😉 I think the Cinemalaya Facebook fanpage mentioned about uploading the complete schedule (including the Ayala cinemas) yesterday, so maybe we’ll have that one today or tomorrow – hopefully sooner.

I hope the reviews this year are better made. Last year’s were generally sophomoric. This is Cinemalaya and the mode of viewing ought to be in the spirit of open-mindedness and probity beyond plot matters, which are really mainstream traits.

Thanks Jerry. I’ll surely do my best. I have to say though that films, regardless of whether they’re mainstream or independent, both qualify for the same open-mindedness in terms of analyzing and acknowledging its merits. Sometimes, a plot can be the downfall of a film, indie or not, and it can also be a double edged sword, so I don’t know if I’m comfortable enough to “leave” the easily noticeable trends (e.g. plot matters) only for mainstream films. At the end end of the day, a film is a film and the impression it’ll leave is what you’ll take from it. 🙂